He raised his hand and did something no one expected. He didn’t summon an army of the dead. He didn’t blast Malachar with shadow. Instead, he reached into his own chest—through skin, muscle, and sinew—and grabbed the Rift-Curse at its core. He pulled .
"I owed you," Kaelen rasped. "For leaving without saying goodbye." dark hero party save
They made the slow journey back. Kaelen expected to be shunned, arrested, or executed. But when they arrived at the town of Silverwood, the people didn’t throw stones. They threw flowers. The scout had talked. A few rangers had watched from the hills. The truth, it seemed, was a stubborn thing. He raised his hand and did something no one expected
And the heartstone? It shattered. But instead of releasing the stolen life force back into the void, Kaelen forced it outward. Wisps of golden and silver light flowed from his fingers and wrapped around Lyra, Gunnar, and Thalia. Their wounds sealed. Their color returned. They were whole. Instead, he reached into his own chest—through skin,
